Female Figure
Unknown Artist
100 BCE–700 CE
Medium
earthenware with colored slips
Dimensions
28.6 × 13.4 × 10.3 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1997.184
About this artwork
This figure, which may once have worn small garments, might be a tomb offering. Her tapered head reflects the practice of cranial shaping, which may identify her social group and serve as a mark of beauty. Her fleshy hips likely refer to human and plant fertility, since food is the source of such bodily wealth. Her identity is unknown.